Mercy Ships Information Services Receives Grant from USAID ASHA

Garden Valley, Texas, March 10, 2010 - Email and technology upgrades have been made possible by a generous USAID-ASHA grant to Mercy Ships, a global charity that provides medical services and training, as well as infrastructure development and health care capacity building, to areas of natural disaster or chronic need.  USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) is providing a $500,000 grant through ASHA (American Schools and Hospitals Abroad).    

Specifically, a portion of the funds will be designated for email and collaboration technology upgrades, network and internet security, server storage, equipment replacements and staff training.  These improvements will reduce the risk of inefficiency, increase organizational collaboration and reduce costs by removing the need for supplemental systems.  The upgrades will produce two major benefits: providing a central repository for account details and providing the core communication and collaboration features between the hospital ship, Africa Mercy serving in Africa and the International Operation Center located in Texas.

The Africa Mercy is a seagoing vessel that contains six operating rooms and over 450 volunteer crew at any one time.  This floating hospital has brought hope and healing to countries in West Africa:  war-torn Liberia, Benin and currently Togo.  It provides a platform for immediate medical relief and serves as a health care training facility.  The ship also provides a safe working and living environment that allows highly qualified volunteers to fully maximize their skills for the benefit of the poor and for those who come for training.  This self-contained, state-of-the-art hospital ship has the advantage of mobility.  It can be delivered to areas of great need, regardless of local infrastructure constraints and can also be removed from a program site if instability reaches critical levels - meaning that valuable investment in hospital technology can be protected and staff safety assured.
 
The Africa Mercy provides an immediate impact in the form of free surgeries – dental, eye, orthopedic, cleft palate repair, and tumor removal.  But the training provided by Mercy Ships creates a continuing impact long after the ship has left port.  This training includes surgical training for African physicians, health education, mental health training for health care workers and community leaders, and community development training in sustainable, organic agriculture.  Health care infrastructure and capacity is increased through medical facility construction or renovation and training in biomedical technology (healthcare equipment service, repair and maintenance) and hospital administration. Mercy Ships is a global charity with communication spanning 17 countries.  This generous grant will greatly enhance that communication
 
 

ABOUT MERCY SHIPS:

Mercy Ships uses hospital ships to deliver free, world-class health care services to those without access in the developing world.  Founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens, Mercy Ships has worked in more than 70 countries, providing services valued at more than $808 million, directly impacting more than 2.5 million beneficiaries. More than 1200 crew worldwide, representing more than 40 nations are joined each year by 2000 short-term volunteers.  Professionals including surgeons, dentists, nurses, health care trainers, teachers, cooks, seamen, engineers, and agriculturalists donate their time and skills to the effort.  For more information or to make a donation, click on www.mercyships.org

ABOUT USAID

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is the lead U.S. government agency providing development and humanitarian assistance to people around the world. USAID is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. Our work covers a variety of areas to include economic growth, agriculture and trade, global health, democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., USAID's strength is its field offices in more than 80 countries around the world. USAID works in close partnership with private voluntary organizations, indigenous organizations, universities, American businesses, international agencies, other governments, and U.S. Government agencies. For more information about USAID and its programs around the world visit www.usaid.gov .




Contact information:

Kathy Gohmert-U.S. Public Relations
Mercy Ships
903.939.7000 and 903.939.7019
kathy.gohmert@mercyships.org

Gina Jackson
USAID Press Officer
1300 Pennsylvania Ave N.W.
Washington D.C.  20523
phone: (202) 712-1917
fax: (202) 216-3034
gjackson@usaid.gov